


Dreams I've Yet To Find

by ForASecondThereWedWon



Series: Alternate Endings to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life [2]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Literati, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 03:06:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13848753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForASecondThereWedWon/pseuds/ForASecondThereWedWon
Summary: Originally posted on Fanfiction.net. Something's pulling Jess back to Stars Hollow on the eve of Luke and Lorelei's wedding. Rory goes to bed with a book, ready for a relaxing evening before the big day. Neither of them is going to have the night they planned. As in my other Jess and Rory fic, Rory is NOT pregnant in this story. Rated for what I'm sure you'd want to be doing with Jess if you were Rory.





	1. Love's Strange, So Real in the Dark

I

Jess stood outside the house, afraid to get any closer, until he started to feel like the guy on the _Exorcist_ poster. All he needed was a streetlamp to stand under. And a higher window to stare up at. He’d always found it a little weird that Rory slept right across from the kitchen, but hey, easier access to coffee. Probably what got her started so young.

As it was, he could partially see into her bedroom from his post in the front yard. Her light was on, turning the room she occupied into a warm, glowing square from the outside. The whole thing was so damn wholesome, Jess wouldn’t have been surprised if the square had turned blue and Florence Henderson’s head had popped up. Instead, Rory walked past the window and Jess felt his hands tighten around the lining of his jacket pockets.

For a moment he panicked, very aware of the neighbourhood prowler vibe he was giving off just standing there on the Gilmore lawn in the middle of the night. Then he realized Rory would never have been able to see him from her window with her light on. He might have skipped the physics classes when they were explaining the intricacies of light and optics, but Jess knew a girl in a well-lit room could not see her decades-old ex pining for her outside like some boom-box-less John Cusack.

Jess had tried to go back to his mom and TJ’s place that afternoon, but he’d ended up driving around aimlessly on an accidental tour of small town Massachusetts, listening to his car radio mock him with classics like “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “I Ran (So Far Away),” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Jess had practically felt his life flashing before his eyes. “Like a Virgin” was a bit of a slap in the face and he’d stabbed his finger at the off button after that.

He just couldn’t get the image of Rory jumping out her front door at him, manuscript pages in hand, out of his head. He had been really surprised when she didn’t hug him. He was also surprised by how _disappointed_ he was that she didn’t hug him. _I mean, it was weird, right?_ Jess mentally conferred with himself. _A big show of emotion like that, and then no hug?_ No question about it, they had unfinished business.

He had sent a quick text to his mom to let her know she wouldn’t be seeing his blanketed form draped across one of her numerous ( _Why? Was it TJ’s doing?_ ) couches the following morning, then pulled back onto the highway with a clear destination, and no plan whatsoever, in mind.

Now Jess flicked his eyes up to the second story. No lights, no signs of movement. No witnesses for his potential crash and burn. You show up at a girl’s place of employment, casually flirt, and make prolonged eye contact and you can still walk out of there, no harm no foul. You pull a Romeo Montague under her window around midnight and you’re pretty much committed.

Jess shifted back and forth. It was freezing outside.

 _Fuck it_ , he thought. He crossed the lawn to the front steps and braced a hand against the railing, his legs shaking slightly. The thud of his feet rhythmically hitting each step steadied him. Fitting that he was getting his sea legs just in time to go down with the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> The Exorcist directed by William Friedkin  
> The Brady Bunch created by Sherwood Schwartz  
> Say Anything directed by Cameron Crowe  
> "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds  
> "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls  
> "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2  
> "Like a Virgin" by Madonna  
> Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare


	2. The Highlights I Remember

II

Jess could see that she was sitting up in bed reading, so he gently tapped on the window. Rory’s eyes pulled up from her page reluctantly, not quite focusing on the window until she realized Jess’s face was there on the other side of the glass. She dropped her book back onto the coverlet and threw her blankets off, racing over to the window in her bare feet. Rory grinned at Jess, her eyes not leaving his, as she unlatched the window and slid it up its casing. Jess perched himself on the sill.

“Here for your shadow, boy?”

He looked down, laughing softly. “I know I haven’t returned every year to take you away with me, but some of those years you wouldn’t have been here either.” Jess raised his eyes to hers, trying to keep the seriousness out of his voice as he added, “You went and saw the world without me, Wendy.”

Rory looked taken aback that her teasing reference had so quickly morphed into a grave sentiment weighted with regret.

He broke eye contact, jerking his head towards her bed and the book resting on it. “Whatcha readin’?”

Rory stood steady in front of him now, tucking her hair back behind her ears. Jess smirked at the sweet gesture of her teenage self manifesting itself years later.

“ _The Bell Jar_. I love it. Such a classic. It’s the third time I’ve read it,” she added proudly.

“Oh, sure, what’s not to love? Main character nearly bleeds to death after her first sexual encounter, then climbs into a suicide hidey-hole under her house. And those are just the highlights I remember.”

A smile edged up onto Rory’s face then dropped off as she registered the chill of the November air pouring in her fully open window. She put out a hand to Jess. “Come inside, it’s freezing.”

Jess swung one leg over the sill then paused, his eyes darting back and forth. “Won’t, uh, Luke and Lorelei…”

Rory rolled her eyes. “You really think either of them would be upset to see you?”

“Ya know, strangely, it’s not so much them seeing me that I’m worried about, it’s them seeing me in your room in the middle of the night.”

Rory crossed her arms. “They got married tonight.”

Jess’s eyes widened. “So you’re telling me they’re probably up there right now…”

“Gross, no. I’m _trying_ to tell you they got married, came home, and then all mom wanted to do was prop herself up on a pillow mountain and marathon sentimental old movies.”

“So Luke’s probably asleep.”

“Luke’s probably asleep.”

“And Lorelei?”

“Well, keep your ears open for ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.’ and if you think you can hear an echo, she’s still awake, if not, she is dead to the world.” Rory nodded once, confidently. “It’s her favourite line.”

Jess was already climbing the rest of the way into her room as he nodded and said, “Go figure.”

Rory’s face pinked slightly as Jess straightened up, standing close in front of her. With his longish hair and leather jacket, she felt like she was possessing a character in a stereotypical teen movie. She snapped herself out of it and reached around him, yanking the window shut. Thankfully, due to Luke’s loving maintenance of all features of the Gilmore house, it closed almost silently.

“So… climbing in an old friend’s window at night. Very _Dawson’s Creek_ of you.”

Jess was unzipping his coat and looking around, noting familiar objects from the past now relocated to different shelves and corners. He glanced back to Rory and raised his eyebrows. “Now is that a step up or down from the _Peter Pan_ comparison? Cause I didn’t love the tights, but I wasn’t a big fan of Dawson’s swoopy hairdo either.” He gestured around his head, then stopped, his hand coming in contact with his own somewhat swoopy hair. “Guess I’m not really one to talk.”

Suddenly, Rory stepped into Jess, sliding her arms around him intimately under his open jacket and tucking her chin over his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Jess smiled into her hair, bringing his hands up to stroke Rory’s back. “Now if Dawson had given Joey that kind of welcome, I’m sure she’d never have given him up for Pacey.”

Rory laughed and Jess’s chest pounded in response to the way her body shook against his. “I didn’t know you watched it.”

Jess shrugged, causing Rory’s chin to rise and fall with his shoulder. “I’m not a total hermit. Beside, binge watching old shows is a tried and true cure for writer’s block.”

“Tell me about it. Since you set me off on this autobiography thing I can’t get enough of _M*A*S*H_.” She pulled back from him and Jess quickly wiped the eager smile off his face that had appeared as a result of the long hug.

“Do you want to…” Rory glanced around the room, crowded with boxes. Her gaze landed on her bed with its covers pulled down. She whipped her head back to face Jess and hastily drew the chair out from her desk. “…sit?”

He hadn’t been oblivious to the way Rory’s glance had lingered on her bed. Jess decided to spare her the discomfort of trying to decipher his intentions while he stood less than a foot from her, unsure himself of the full extent of those intensions. “Actually, I was thinkin’ we could go out.” He raised a hand, jerking his thumb backwards at the window.

Rory laughed in a mix of relief and disbelief. “And do what? This is Stars Hollow. Nothing’s open.”

“We could sit on a bench somewhere and stare at our shoes.” He smirked at her then glanced down. “Of course, you’ll have to put shoes on first. It’s kinda cold.”

“Speaking of that.” She looked at him with concern. “Are you warm enough? I don’t want to mess with your look because, honestly, I’m loving the return of the leather jacket, but I have a sweater you can borrow if you want?” Rory cut off her rambling.

“You do?” Jess looked at her incredulously. “Did the size smalls run big at the Yale souvenir shop?”

Rory rolled her eyes and turned away, reaching deep into a box of folded winter clothing. She straightened up and tossed a black sweater at him. “It doesn’t say ‘Yale’ on the front, but it should fit. It’s yours.”

Jess’s eyes were on the sweater as he unfolded it. He held it in front of him and looked over at her. _She had this all this time? Does that mean she’s been wearing it?_ He was turned on in a possessive kind of way by the thought of her walking around in his sweater.

“You might want to actually put it on. I don’t think it’ll block that much wind if you just hold it in front of you.” Rory grinned at him.

Jess shook his head in pretend disapproval at her teasing, then slid his jacket from his shoulders. As he stretched his arms above his head to put the sweater on, he could feel Rory’s eyes on him. _Good_ , he thought. _Let her look_.

Rory’s eyes roamed Jess’s torso from the narrow hips up the muscled abs and chest that were pressed to the fitted fabric of his t-shirt. She was suddenly consumed by two thoughts: one, how good in how many ways his body had felt pressed to hers in that hug, and two, that she was alone with him in her bedroom.

When she focused back on him, he was zipping up his jacket.

“I guess I better change quickly too.” She was still standing there in her pajamas: an old t-shirt and flannel drawstring bottoms.

Jess moved to lift the window, but Rory put out her hand to halt him. “No, it’s ok. Just, um, turn around for a minute.”

Jess couldn’t argue with that, especially since the majority of his brain and the entirety of his penis were very much in favour of remaining in a room with a naked Rory Gilmore. Particularly considering the alternative of standing outside in the cold.

He turned, keeping his eyes on his shoes and the space of floor between them as Rory shifted boxes and shuffled around in sock feet behind him. A door shut and Jess whipped his head around fearing the entrance of either Luke or Lorelei (he wouldn’t sure in whose eyes this situation would be more damning), and instead got an eyeful of Rory’s naked back, standing at her wardrobe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie  
> The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath  
> Gone With the Wind directed by Victor Fleming  
> Dawson's Creek created by Kevin Williamson  
> M*A*S*H created by Larry Gelbart


	3. Matches?

III

Rory had evidently just closed the wardrobe’s door, and that was the sound Jess had heard. Her hands reached around behind her, hooking a black bra, then sliding its straps up her arms. Jess’s dick grazed the front of his boxers, instantly reacting to a sight he’d longed to see since he was a teenager. He felt his thoughts clanging together like bumper cars, backing up behind the main one he was hung up on: _don’t look away_.

Rory had a shirt pinned between her knees and after putting on her bra, she reached down for it, starting to turn back towards him. Jess quickly swung his head around to face the window then realized the mirror-like properties that had stopped Rory from seeing him on the lawn earlier were once again working in his favour, enabling him to see her in the room behind him.

_Technically_ , he thought, taking in the curving hips and waist of Rory’s adult body, _I’m not really spying on her. I’m looking in the exact opposite direction._ He sighed when Rory dropped the shirt over her head and followed it with a sweater, then brought his hands up to his mouth and blew into them as a cover in case she had heard him.

“All set.”

Jess turned to face Rory as she slipped her arms into her coat and her feet into shoes.

“Should I bring anything?” Rory looked around her room, scanning over the possessions that cluttered her floor and tabletops.

“Relax, Cinderella, you’re not leaving anything behind that you’re gonna need. It’s midnight. Let’s get outta here.” He pulled up the window.

“Are you sure? A flashlight? Matches?” Rory was stalling in front of the open window and Jess was getting cold standing still.

“You get recruited by the Girl Guides since the last time I saw you? I’m not taking you into the wilderness, Rory, we’re just hangin’ out.” Jess shook his head and decided to lead by example, climbing through the window and putting out a hand to Rory. She crossed to the far wall and flicked her lights off.

“You know, I do have passable orienteering skills.” Rory took his hand and ducked through the window, pulling it down after her. She spun around and nearly collided with Jess, whose eyes were still adjusting to the sudden blackness.

He surprised her by taking her by the hand.

“Why, aren’t you forward?” Rory said, putting on a Southern accent.

“Relax,” Jess droned, “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t fall down the stairs.”

Rory smiled into the darkness and tucked her arm up under Jess’s as they walked across the porch. She was reaching out for the bannister when she felt Jess pull down on her arm as he missed the first step. Rory burst out laughing and quickly stifled it with her hand. Her eyes were beginning to adjust and she could just make out the expression of irritation on Jess’s face when he turned to look at her.

“I don’t know what’s so funny. It’s pitch black out here. Haven’t you people ever heard of light pollution?”

“You know, sometimes I think you were made for New York.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Cinderella created by Charles Perrault


	4. The Edges of the Façade

IV

Rory and Jess wove through town, cutting back into residential streets when they started to get too close to the square. It seemed an unspoken agreement that they were trying to get their walk to last a little longer.

“You know what I love about Stars Hollow?”

Rory turned to Jess in confusion. “I’m sorry, what did you say? It sounded like you were about to praise the town you ran away from not once but twice.”

Jess narrowed his eyes at her and gave her a gentle shove. Rory didn’t go too far as their arms were still companionably linked.

“Ok, ok. Proceed. What do you love about Stars Hollow?”

“No sidewalks.” Jess gestured at the ground.

“We have them around the square.”

“Yeah, but that’s your downtown core. In New York, you gotta run a marathon to get away from that. Here, you walk one block out and there’s not a sidewalk in sight.”

Rory shrugged. “Well, that’s small town life for ya.”

“And you guys got so many trees. Just,” Jess swung his arm around, “ _trees_. All over the place.”

Rory laughed. “Ok, Paved Paradise.”

“I miss it.” Jess was smiling.

“It’s Stars Hollow, Jess, not Walden Pond.”

“So if I wanted to stay I wouldn’t have to build my own cabin?”

“I’m sure you could, but you’d have to get all the right permits. Taylor would check.”

“Yeah, that kinda takes the fun out of it.”

“You’re presupposing there is any kind of fun to be gotten out of building one’s own shelter by hand.” Rory frowned in distaste.

“Come on, you fancy journalist. Can’t you slum it with the average man?”

Rory put her hand to her chest. “This average man has no desire to live more than a mile from a place where she can buy a greasy piece of pizza.”

“Now who sounds like a New Yorker?” Jess smirked at her.

“There is definitely a side of me that could be referred to as ‘big city Rory.’”

“I can totally see you there. And in London too, from what I’ve heard.”

Rory nodded.

“Stars Hollow suits you too though. I can imagine them collapsing the sets and rolling up the roads like carpets without you here. If it wasn’t so dark out, I’d say let’s go look for the edges of the façade. It’s like _The Truman Show_.”

Rory rolled her eyes.

“Do you miss it?”

“Hmm?” She had gotten distracted catching a glimpse of lights in the square between the houses.

“Big city life. Traveling. Hopping from place to place.”

Rory looked at him. Rory looked scared.

“I’m not sure. I don’t really know what I want right now. I mean, the _Gazette_?” She looked at the ground thoughtfully. “I never pictured myself there. Or coming back like this. To visit, sure, but to live?” Rory could feel herself spiralling now. “I feel like Oliver. I went and I tried and I asked for more and I didn’t get it.”

Rory was unconsciously speeding up their walking pace and they were approaching the square. As she strode on, she turned to look at Jess. “The worst part is I don’t even have anything to show for it. I’m Oliver and I have an empty bowl. I’m an empty bowl person, Jess!”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am! I wasn’t supposed to be an empty bowl person!”

“You’re right.”

“I went to Yale!”

“I know you did.”

Rory’s forehead furrowed and Jess pulled her to a stop and let her arm drop out from under his. Rory turned to face him and he pulled her into a fierce hug. She dropped her head onto Jess’s shoulder and stared at the white ribbon of lights decorating the gazebo behind him. She just stood and let him hold her, let him carry 90% of the hugging effort. She inched her face closer to his neck and found he smelled good. That was nice.

Rory let herself be still and breathe and allow the lights to burn bright dots onto her retinas.

Her heartrate slowed and she became more aware of the way Jess had wrapped himself around her, with his cheek pressed to the side of her head and his arms solidly encircling her, now swaying her gently on the spot. His body was warm and she felt like she might fall asleep. She pulled out of his embrace.

The look Jess gave her was surprisingly loving and she had to look away. She started towards the gazebo and Jess walked with her.

“So, this is really something.” A thousand details of the wonderland scene were catching his eye. “I thought the theme for this wedding was supposed to be ‘simple.’” He smiled and looked over at Rory. “You’re quiet.”

“I was almost asleep.”

Jess put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “You coulda slept.”

Rory raised her eyebrows. “And been the living embodiment of how boring you think this town is? No thanks.”

Jess laughed as they climbed the steps. “I think I would have been too focused on carrying you home to spend time assessing the boringness of Stars Hollow.”

Rory looked at him, alarmed. “Carrying me? My decades of subsisting on junk food may not have made me visibly larger, but trust me, my body is incredibly dense. I would not be easily lifted.”

They had stopped in the center of the gazebo.

“I doubt that,” Jess said.

“No, really,” Rory widened her eyes and under the lights they were pure blue. “If you put a sample of my cells under a microscope, you’d see each one was shaped like a hamburger.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m a writer instead of a scientist.” Jess smirked and lunged towards Rory, grabbing her around the waist and draping her over his shoulder. He spun in a circle a few times until the winding lights turned into streaking meteors. Rory was laughing.

Jess set Rory on her feet, trying not to accidentally grope her ass as he lowered her. He staggered slightly as he straightened up and put a hand on her shoulder to steady himself. Rory put her hand over his, still laughing, but stopped when his other hand came up to hold the side of her face.

“I’m seeing two Rory Gilmores.”

“Technically there _are_ two Rory Gilmores since my mom and I have the same name.”

“Very funny.” His fingers stroked around the edge of her jaw and Rory saw his eyes look down at her mouth. Jess started to lean towards her, then stopped. “I know what you need.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell  
> Walden by Henry David Thoreau  
> The Truman Show directed by Peter Weir  
> Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens


	5. Suspended in Amber

V

“You started a Stars Hollow chapter of Fight Club and didn’t tell me?”

“Hey, you know the first and second rules.”

Rory laughed. “Seriously though, you’ve been out of town for ages and just happen to have a key?”

They were standing in front of Luke’s Diner and Jess was delicately wiggling a key in the lock on the front door. He shrugged. “Luke gave it to me.”

“He gave it to you.” Rory’s tone was doubtful.

The door swung open and Jess grinned, gesturing for Rory to lead the way.

“Well, it may be closer to the truth to say he didn’t stop me from taking it.”

Rory walked past Jess into the dinner and eyed him suspiciously. “And he was aware that you were taking it?”

Jess stepped in and closed the door behind him. With it shut, the diner was lit only by the light from the square edging in around the blinds. “Hey, that guy in _Mission Impossible_ knew Ethan Hunt moved the envelope from the left jacket pocket to the right jacket pocket. I hold Luke to the same standard.”

Rory navigated easily through the dark diner. It was practically her second home. “Except he couldn’t notice you’d moved it because you didn’t move it, you took it.”

Jess’s voice came from close behind her. “And if he hasn’t missed it yet, what does that tell you?”

Rory opened her mouth to reply by Jess kept going. “That he doesn’t pay close enough attention to his possessions.” Jess made a _tsk_ ing noise.

Rory sat on a stool and rested her elbows on the counter behind her. “Or that he expects his possessions not to be stolen in his own home. Not an outrageous assumption, I would say.”

“Then I’m keeping him sharp.” Jess walked behind the counter, sliding his hand along its surface until he stopped across from Rory. “So what’ll you have?” He took a step back into the kitchen and flicked the light on.

Rory turned, smiling, to face him. “A hamburger?”

Jess frowned. “Come on, this isn’t a 24-hour McDonald’s. I can’t just go back there and start handling the beef.”

Rory’s mouth dropped open. “Dirty!”

Jess rolled his eyes dramatically. “Looks like you can take the girl out of the Gilmore house, but you can’t take the Gilmore out of the girl. Second choice?”

“Coffee.” Rory smiled smugly.

Jess slapped a hand on the counter. “Well colour me surprised. Comin’ right up.” He disappeared into the kitchen then backtracked to stand in front of Rory. “Actually,” he fished around in his pocket, “you can wait upstairs if you want. It might be warmer up there.” Jess extracted a key and tossed it to her.

Rory raised her eyebrows. “You took the apartment key too? When are we going for a spin in Luke’s truck? Because I assume you stole that key as well.”

Jess smirked. “Didn’t take that one, but if push came to shove, I’m sure I could hardwire that piece of junk.”

Rory looked at him sternly. “Poor truck.” She slid off the stool and walked around the counter to stand with Jess.

He turned to her in surprise. “You not going up?”

She smiled and dug her hands into her pockets. “I can wait.”

Jess put his hand out reflexively.

Rory leaned away from him. “Oh, I’m not giving you the key back. You weren’t supposed to have it in the first place.”

“Jeeze, thanks for taking advantage of my hospitality.” Jess stepped forward and leaned his side against the counter next to her. As he turned his face towards her, a car drove by outside and a vertical line of light squeezed through the blinds and illuminated a bright stripe of Rory’s face. Her eyes were so blue.

In the next second, she was in darkness. Then another stripe. And another. They raced across her skin, imitating a facial recognition scanner in a sci-fi film.

Jess whipped his head around to look for the source of the light, but the blinds were still down and it was pure darkness outside again.

“What’s with the lights?”

Rory smiled. “They’re doing a trial run of Stars Hollow’s new stoplight.”

Jess’s head jerked back in confusion. “I can’t imagine you really need one.”

Rory leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter, and looked sideways at Jess over her shoulder. “Well, since we don’t have much traffic, the lights have to be timed accordingly.”

Jess turned and matched Rory’s posture. “Meaning?”

“They’re set on hourly loops.”

“Hourly? So the cars that just went by have been waiting for up to an hour?”

“Yeah. It’s green for an hour, then it’s red for an hour.”

“What about amber?”

“About 15 seconds.”

“Man, they never seem to make that one long enough.”

“We’ve tried timing them. Mom swears the amber lasts slightly longer around 6am, but I think it’s just a ploy to get me up and make me suffer with her when she opens The Dragonfly early.”

“Well, you could try it.” Jess tilted sideways and nudged Rory’s shoulder with his.

Rory groaned. “I’m getting tired just thinking about it.”

Jess put his hands on the edge of the counter and pressed himself smoothly back from it, like he was doing a push up. “Lucky for you, coffee should be ready by now.”

Rory sighed. “A miracle.”

Jess laughed, reaching for a mug. “Yup. Teacher says every time a pot percolates, a Gilmore gets its caffeine fix.” He filled the mug almost to the brim.

Rory turned to face him, gratefully extending her hands to receive the steaming cup. She cradled it against her body and took a deep breath. “It’s a wonderful life.”

Jess rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk  
> Mission: Impossible II directed by John Woo  
> It's a Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra


	6. A Regular Night for a Jetsetter Like You

VI

They were clomping up the stairs in the dark. Jess had switched off the light in the kitchen before Rory could turn on the one in the hallway and then refused to go back.

“If I accidentally spill this on you, you’ll regret it,” Rory had singsonged.

“Please.” Rory hadn’t been able to see him, but it had felt like Jess was rolling his eyes. “Weren’t you born with a cup of coffee in your hand? Don’t even try those empty threats on me.”

“Well then I might spill it _not_ accidentally.”

“Guess that means I’m going up first,” Jess had quickly replied, putting a hand on Rory’s back to locate her, then slipping around her to start up the stairs.

On the landing, he remembered he had given the key to Rory.

“Cough it up, Gilmore.”

“Are you the Gatekeeper?” she replied dramatically.

“I’m no Sigourney Weaver, but yeah, hand it over, Keymaster.”

“No can do. My hands are full.”

Jess felt for her in the dark, plucking the mug from her grip.

“Hey!”

The cup felt light and Jess rocked it gently from side to side. No slosh. “Is this empty?”

“I drank it.”

“Then it was just an excuse. Predictable.” Jess bent and set the mug next to the doorway where it wouldn’t be kicked over. When he straightened up, he was feeling playful. And it served Rory right for not handing the key over when she had a chance. Jess stepped up to her quickly and thrust a hand into the pocket of Rory’s coat. Unfortunately, Rory’s hand was already in there and she let out a yelp that turned into a laugh.

“Alright, where’s the key?”

Rory straightened up. “That guy in _Mission Impossible_ knew where the enveloped was moved to. I hold you to the same standard.”

“I think that coffee’s gone straight to your head.” Jess drew his hand back. “You really want to start this?”

“I know, we could be here quite a while,” she replied with false sadness.

“Are you implying that I lack the requisite key-finding skills?”

He heard the rasp of Rory’s coat as she shrugged her shoulders.

Jess gasped. “The audacity.” He weaseled his hand into the other pocket of Rory’s coat. No dice. He took a deep breath. It was just a game. She was forcing him to do it. Jess’s hands met over Rory’s rib cage, sliding along until he could feel a button.

“You know,” she said, “I think Ethan Hunt was a little more subtle about it.”

“Didn’t realize I was being groomed for MI6,” Jess muttered, undoing the button.

“Hmm?”

“I said, ‘Like this?’” Jess slipped his flattened palm into Rory’s coat, grazing it along the fabric of her sweater to reach her waist.

“Yes, that’s much better.” Her voice was soft.

Jess’s heart was racing and he left his hand resting against her, going back to work on the remaining buttons with his free hand.

“I also think Ethan was a little faster.” Rory shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

Jess was relieved by her lightening the mood. He stepped behind Rory and tugged her now unfastened coat from her shoulders. He gave it a thorough shake so that it snapped like a fresh sheet coming off a laundry line, but didn’t hear the jingle of a key falling out onto the floor.

Rory turned to face Jess, reaching a hand out to halt his movements. “Careful!” Her hand came in contact with his abdomen rather than his forearm. Rory breathed in sharply through her nose. “I—I haven’t used this coat in a while and I don’t know if I left anything in the pockets.”

Jess dropped it carefully to the ground at his side. “Well, you definitely didn’t leave anything helpful in them for this particular situation. So the question remains: where is the key?”

At any point, Rory could have fished the key out and strode triumphantly to the door of the apartment, unlocking it and gaining a victory for allowing it to remain safely in her hands until she could return it to Luke. She could even have smugly handed it over to Jess and still had the sense that she had won… whatever it was she was trying to win. Instead, Rory surreptitiously inched the key into the front pocket of her jeans. It had been clenched in her closed fist.

 “Nothing in the right or left jacket pockets?”

“Remind me to never reference another movie unless I want to give you something to punish me with.”

“But if I wanted to punish you, then why would I remind—”

“Am I going to have to check your shoes next? God, I feel like I’m working at airport security. This must be just a regular night for a jetsetter like you.”

“Technically, you never finished checking my pockets, so you better stick to your day job.” Rory absentmindedly slid her hands into her back pockets.

“So you have the Swiss army knife of coats and there’s some secret pocket in there you’ve been waiting to use that’s just the right size to hide the key that we now need to get into Luke’s apartment?”

“No, that coat just has the two pockets.”

“Huh,” Jess said, but it wasn’t a puzzled sound, it was just the opposite. He’d just realized the game Rory was really playing and was now wondering if he had the balls to play it too. _Or are you just going to hang onto the memory of spying on her half-naked in her own window?_

At least it was dark. It was easier, in the dark, not to back down.

Jess reached out for Rory, laying a hand on her upper arm and trailing it down to her elbow, then her wrist, which protruded from her back pocket. He felt around for her other arm and found it was positioned just the same. Jess stepped in close, held Rory gently by the wrists, and pulled her hands from her pockets. She let them fall to her sides.

He breathed in.

He breathed out.

Jess slipped his own hands in to replace Rory’s, forced to press against the shape of her ass as he explored the pocket with his fingertips. Rory let out a breath that Jess felt on his neck. Blood drained to his dick and it gave a sharp lunge.

“There’s nothing—”

Now Rory grabbed Jess by the wrist, cutting him off and extracting his hand. She brought it to rest with the palm flat against her lower abdomen, just inside the wall of her hip bone. Jess’s hand covered the pocket containing the apartment key, but suddenly all he could think of was what he could touch if Rory’s jeans were off and his hand was an inch or two lower. Even better, he had a feeling this was exactly what Rory was wanting him to be thinking. The blood pulsed and his dick stiffened.

Nonetheless, it was her game and Jess would let Rory be the one to call it. He dragged his palm up, finding the edge of Rory’s front pocket, and maneuvered his fingers inside. Now there was nothing but the soft cotton pocket between his hand and her skin. Jess let his hot hand warm Rory for a few moments, let her get used to it, before he drew it out, the key pinched between his index and middle fingers.

Feeling the heat of his hand draw away, Rory broke, no longer able to contain the feelings Jess had revived in her now, at the gazebo, when she’d seen his face outside her bedroom window, and earlier, at her house this afternoon, her office at lunchtime. She couldn’t stand it.

Rory leaned into Jess, her hands stroking up the back of his neck, and kissed him firmly, moving her mouth against his until his moved back against hers. Until Rory felt that maybe she hadn’t gone so far and it hadn’t been so long after all. Not if they could come back to each other like _this_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Ghostbusters directed by Ivan Reitman


	7. An Unexpected Bonus

VII

Jess handed the key back to Rory and picked her coat up off the floor. As she fit the key into the lock, Jess pressed himself up behind her, letting her feel the petrified length of him. Rory’s hand shook and the key ting-ed in the lock, so she gave up for a moment and rolled her hips so that her ass stroked against Jess’s erection. On the silent landing, Rory heard Jess draw a breath roughly in through his nose, then felt his arm come around her stomach, holding her against him. He stroked his face catlike against her hair, then lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing her skin hotly.

Rory clenched her teeth and grasped the key, giving it a deliberate turn. She could tell if they didn’t get inside soon, something was going to happen out there in the hallway.

The lock clicked and they stumbled through the door together, Jess trying to keep his hands on Rory, and Rory attempting to turn and face him. Jess kicked the door shut, dropped Rory’s coat, and walked her back until the backs of her legs collided with a couch. Losing her balance, Rory sat down on the arm, alone only a moment before Jess leaned forward, brushing her hair back and searching her face with his lips. They met her cheek, the edge of her jaw, and the corner of her mouth, teasingly, before Rory caught Jess’s face in her hands and held it still as she kissed him. He wedged his hands under her ass, yanking her forward to sit on the edge of the couch’s arm, and pressed the front of his thigh between her legs.

Rory let out a soft noise like a toned down version of someone being hit in the stomach. Jess grabbed her under her elbows and pulled her body up against his, sliding a hand under her shirt to feel the smooth skin of her lower back. Rory’s hands squeezed between them to run from Jess’s abs up to his chest. Jess held the fabric of her shirt between his fingers and Rory was starting to work his jacket over his shoulders when they realized they’d have to break apart to start divesting these layers.

Jess stepped back from her, shrugging his shoulders to get his jacket off. Rory almost whimpered at the loss of pressure against her core and knew that, were they to turn any lights on, she’d almost certainly see a wet mark on Jess’s thigh where it had rested against her. As she stood, Rory’s more than damp underwear slicked across her folds and she began unfastening her jeans. She couldn’t recall ever having been so ready to have someone as she was now with Jess.

Bold in the dark, Rory wriggled her jeans and panties over her hips together and perched back against the couch to tug them from her legs. Jess had walked to the window, twisting the blinds open to coax in what little after-midnight glow there was to be found outside, and came back pulling his sweatshirt and tee up over his head. Dropping them to the floor, Jess shook his hair back out of his eyes and took a long look at Rory’s pale form, naked from the hips down.

His mouth felt dry and he had to swallow a few times before he could speak.

“So, I guess we’re on the same page then?”

Rory pulled her shirt off and dropped it in her lap. “It feels like the time is finally right.”

Jess moved closer to her, running his fingers through her hair. The front of his jeans felt so tight he knew he’d have to do some delicate maneuvering to get them off.

“I know this is a big deal, but I want you to resist turning it into a news item for the _Gazette_.”

Rory smiled. “Not even a small piece in the Entertainment section? It might make a nice change from my alternating weekly reviews of Miss Patty’s toddler ballet class and Kirk’s off-colour short films.”

Jess laughed. “Well, then maybe. Just not the cover. I don’t want to hear about the poem being bumped again.” He leaned in to her, running his fingers along her bra strap.

“How did you hear about that?” Rory placed her palm against Jess’s bare chest and he shivered.

“I have spies everywhere.” He brought his mouth down to hers.

Rory’s mind waffled between pulling Jess down to her and standing up to meet him, so she compromised by stretching up into the kiss. Jess’s presence from above was overwhelming. His lips pushing and ebbing against hers, the ends of his hair swishing on her cheek. His fingers creeping under the straps of her bra and tugging them off her shoulders.

Her neck began to feel the strain so Rory took her mouth away from Jess’s and brought it back into contact with him on his chest. She felt a force like a magnetic pull from her lower muscles as she kissed across his skin and traced the slopes of Jess’s muscles with the tip of her tongue.

All the while, Jess looked down at her, her skin ethereally perfect in the near-dark, and considered himself well rewarded for his decision to drive back to Stars Hollow a few hours earlier. When he felt her tongue painting his skin, Jess’s erection throbbed insistently and he reached down, his arms covered in goosebumps, and began undoing his jeans.

Rory sat back, unsure where to look when Jess’s zipper came down to reveal the sizable length hammocked in the front of his boxers. Frantically, she glanced down and off to her left, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment and attraction. She brought her trembling hands to rest on her bare thighs. As she did so, Rory felt her lowered straps drag along her arms and quickly unhooked her bra, gripping the garment tightly in her hand as her last barrier between her current self and the Rory she would soon be.

She took a deep breath and dropped it to the floor. For something so psychologically monumental, it made only the faintest whisper as it met the ground.

Jess’s hand came out of nowhere to cup her face and Rory jumped, swinging her head to look straight on at his penis. She darted her eyes up to focus on Jess’s chest instead but some annoying, wrong-footed, and embarrassed part of her brain decided on laughter instead of a smooth recovery.

Rory slapped a hand over her mouth, but the giggles didn’t stop, pushing out at the corners in a way that was impossible for Jess not to hear.

“Rory,” he started, but she jumped in.

“I don’t mean it! I’m not trying to laugh!” She took a deep breath, cutting off the laughter, and put her hand to her forehead. “Oh my god, please don’t think I’m laughing about _that_ , cause I’m not. That is great. It’s awesome. I’m thrilled.” Rory nervously looked up to meet Jess’s eyes.

He was smiling in confusion with his eyebrows drawn together. “Thanks, Rory. Leave me a review on Yelp.”

“I’m so sorry. You’re not insulted?” She looked at him earnestly, willing him with her probing blue eyes to be honest.

Jess shook his head. “Of course not.”

“I can’t believe I did that.”

“It’s part of your charm.” He touched her lightly on the shoulder.

“Being charming does not typically include cracking up on first sight of the most…” She waved a hand in the air, trying to summon her words. “…intimate area of a partner selected for imminent sexual relations.”

“Rory, relax. You sound like you’re narrating a wildlife documentary.”

“Well there’s another unexpected bonus for you,” she said sarcastically.

“Still part of the charm.”

“Really?” Rory looked at him doubtfully.

“It’s a wide banner. Multifaceted. An umbrella approach.”

“I’m shocked and disturbed by your willful mixing of metaphors.”

Jess shrugged. “I’m shocking and disturbing and you laughed at the defining symbol of my sense of masculinity. I’d say we’re even.”

Rory’s eyebrows shot up. “Aha! So it _did_ bother you!”

Jess’s hand trailed along her collarbone to rest in the center of Rory’s chest. He smirked. “Do I _look_ bothered?”

Jess’s seductive tone was impossible to resist and Rory’s eyes flickered down to assess the effect of her unintentional insult. Jess’s erection stood firm, even twitching a little under her gaze as it continued to sequester blood from areas deemed less immediately important.

Jess cleared his throat, startling Rory. “And now you can’t stop looking. What are you doing, playing Where’s Waldo?”

Rory leaned sideways, burying her face in the couch’s back in mild humiliation.

Jess laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m just kidding.”

Rory sat back up. “Believe it or not, I’m usually the normal one in these situations.”

“Oh really?” Jess wasn’t sure where this was going or how much he wanted to hear.

“Oh yeah. A few months ago I had sex with a Wookie.”

Jess tilted his head in confusion.

Rory was nodding. “You heard me right.”

“I hope he had all his shots.”

Rory put up a hand in warning. “Do _not_ repeat that to my mother. That’s one of the few jokes I haven’t heard her make about it yet.”

“Since the context might be a little tricky to explain, I’ll agree to that.” Jess took Rory’s hands in his and pulled her to her feet. Her naked body stood less than six inches from his. “On a serious note though, should I be worried about you… drawing comparisons between me and Chewbacca?” Jess dipped his chin to gesture towards his dick. He was fighting to hide a smile.

Rory rolled her eyes and took Jess firmly in her hand, stroking steadily up and down. He tensed and panted.

“No,” she whispered. “I’m _very_ impressed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Star Wars series directed by George Lucas


	8. He Doesn't Come with a Catchphrase

VIII

Luke hadn’t needed to bring a bed with him when he moved in with Lorelei, and he was too pragmatic to get rid of one in case they ever wanted a spare, so Rory knew there would have to be a mattress somewhere in the apartment. She and Jess just didn’t make it that far.

Sheets had been draped over Luke’s remaining furniture, which meant that Rory’s knees weren’t sticking to the leather couch as she sat in Jess’s lap, straddling him.

“I mean it’s—” They kissed. “—handy, really—” They kissed. “Very—” They kissed. “—tidy of him.”

Jess held Rory’s face but moved his mouth away. When he spoke, he was panting slightly. “Yeah, it’s very Netherfield Park. Now can we stop talking about Luke?”

“Yep.” Rory let Jess draw her face back towards his. His lips touched hers as she changed her mind and continued to voice her thoughts.

“You know, it is pretty strange being back here.”

“Sure.” Jess sighed, but waited, his hands rubbing up and down her thighs.

“Especially with you. Not that I was ever here without you.” Jess nodded, mentally willing Rory to wrap up her observations. “I mean, what was I gonna do? Come up here and watch Luke cook?” This was clearly rhetorical and Jess decided to just let Rory go on without interruption.

“I can see that downstairs at the dinner. Or at home in my own kitchen now. Which is still a little eerie, by the way. It’s like seeing a TV chef in your house. And, obviously, a TV chef would theoretically be preferable, but also not, because they’d just stand there judging us by how small our oven is and how many frozen pizzas we have in the freezer. You would never expect such a thing of somebody like Martha Stewart, but hey, you wouldn’t have expected her to commit a felony either. The trouble is that Luke is at least as judgemental about that stuff in reality as Martha Stewart is in my imagination.”

Jess interject, becoming impatient. “At least he doesn’t come with a catchphrase.”

Rory pointed at him. “Excellent point! No catchphrase, but he does still have the standard Luke uniform.”

“Like Julia Child.” Jess was starting to grin now despite himself.

“Yeah, and I mean, it’s not pearls, but it’s got _something_.”

“A weird smell?”

“What? No.”

“Mysterious, oddly-shaped stains?”

“Jess.”

“What?” He looked at her innocently.

“Nothing.” Rory turned her head to the side.

Jess reached for her face.

“Jess.”

“What?”

“What if _we_ moved in together?”

It took Jess a second to catch up. “You and me?”

“No, me and Julia Child.” She rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, you threw me there. One second we’re making critical assessments about Luke’s appearance—”

“One of us is.”

“—and the next we’re making, you know, momentous life decisions. Rory, do you really trust me as much as that?” Jess looked at her, eyes wide.

“Yes, and just think about it,” she rambled on, before he could interject. “I know I order in a lot of food, but that’s my biggest vice. I’m quiet, I’m tidy enough for the both of us—”

“I’ll have you know I am an incredibly neat and hygienic roommate.”

“Well, great. I’m sold.”

“Hang on. Where is this coming from?” Jess ran a hand up her bare arm, trying to steer clear of sideboob territory.

Rory held a neutral face for as long as she could, then frowned. “I’m getting kind of sick of acting as third wheel to the happy couple.”

Jess narrowed his eyes as he thought. “But you’ve only been back home for…”

“For long enough. It’s pathetic.”

“And I’m your ticket out?”

Rory slumped. “I don’t mean it like that. I was just wondering if you were…”

Jess raised his eyebrows and held her gaze. “If I was going to stay around here? Are you nervous? Because of this?” He motioned between their bodies.

“No. Yes.” Rory tilted her head to the side. “It would be nice to know it wasn’t just going to happen once.”

“It’s not going to just happen once.”

“It’s easy to say that now.”

“Hell, if you don’t believe me, pull a _Misery_ and tie me to the furniture.” Jess realized how this sounded as he reached the end of his sentence and felt his face redden a little as Rory’s eyebrow went up. His dick felt strained and needy as Jess tried to push the image he’d just suggested to her out of his head. “I should be more worried about you changing _your_ mind after this.”

“I’m not going to change my mind,” she said softly.

“Don’t speak too soon. A Wookie is a tough act to follow.” Jess’s grin hung in place for a second, then slipped. Rory looked hurt. He pressed his palm to the side of her face. “I’ll think about it.”

Rory opened her mouth to reply, but Jess held a finger up.

“I don’t want you to do this just because you’re feeling desperate right now. You have real talent, Rory, and things could turn around for you any day. I don’t want to hold you back.”

“You wouldn’t be! I—”

Jess smiled. “I’ll be happy to hear you argue your case later, but remember you have to make your mind up about me too.” He moved his hands to her hips and pulled her forward on his lap. She took a sharp breath as his hot erection pressed against her abdomen. “Now I’m going to ask you for a break from this far too serious discussion so that I can very biasedly try to influence you in my favour before you really start remembering what an insensitive little punk I was.” He smirked. “Sound good?”

Rory drew her eyebrows together. “Sounds… honest, at least.” She laughed.

“It should.”

“I appreciate you telling me the truth.”

Jess took her hand in his, looking into her eyes. Suddenly, the look in his turned sultry and he brought her hand down to wrap around his dick. “You can handle this truth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  
> Misery by Stephen King  
> A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin


	9. This Time

IX

Rory’s mouth was working against Jess’s, her tongue pressing inside to prevent the escape of any more terrible jokes. She nudged her warm, wet core against Jess’s erection and he jerked back against her, wrapping his arms tight around her back. In a corner of her mind, apart from the action of the moment, Rory was fascinated by the way Jess allowed his instincts to guide him, not overthinking the way he often did in real life, in her experiences with him so far. He was pleasingly strong and masculine in his actions, but Rory nevertheless felt like he were making love to her, or would be soon, if she encouraged him a little further. She was ideally placed in his lap after all.

Rory leaned her chest against Jess’s, compressing her breasts against his hot skin, and let her kisses become loose and hungry.

One of Jess’s hands dropped down to her thigh, gripping her skin hard enough that Rory expected to see a bruise in the morning, but that was a long way off now. Jess ran his hand up to her hip, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up at the thrill of the friction from his palm. He had surprisingly strong fingers, but if she thought about it, he had always been quite handy and physical. He almost certainly would have been this way with her when they were together as teenagers, if it had been right for them to reach this stage then. Doubtless, he had gained some skill in the time since, though apparently not enough to blunt his passionate instincts.

Jess brought his other hand down so he was holding her hips, then slid his hands under her to lift Rory up onto him. He groaned at the feeling of her arousal coating his swollen cock, making Rory tremble at the sound and the sharp jolt of pleasure as the head of his dick rubbed up against her clit.

Jess looked into her eyes to get the go-ahead and Rory was momentarily paralyzed by his handsomeness, finding her heart had flown up into her throat. She smoothed his hair back, smirking at the touch of rebellion it left lingering on him in adulthood. Jess bobbed his face against her hand, moving his mouth to kiss delicately at her wrist. Rory felt her pulse thump between her legs, enraptured by the combination of careful and forceful touches he was using on her body.

She took a shaky breath and grabbed the wrist of Jess’s hand, which was now wrapped around his dick, holding him steady. In her anticipation, Rory realized she was squeezing him too hard, like she had her mother’s hand when she’d had her ears pierced as a child. Rory slackened her grip and looked probingly into Jess’s eyes, only to see that her little act of aggression had been met with an increased desire that made his gaze sharp and intense.

Rory positioned the head of him against her opening and Jess reflexively nudged himself up into her, licking his lower lip as he concentrated on the feeling. Rory felt almost tickled by his expression and leaned her face in next to his, whispering in his ear. “I hope this isn’t your first time.”

Jess turned his head sharply to look at her. “What are you, in cahoots with my car radio or somethin’?”

Jess’s unexpected question stilled her actions and Rory held herself immobile while she considered it. At this point into their encounter, Jess was thoroughly annoyed by this and ran a motivating hand up the front of Rory’s body to cage her breast and brush back and forth against her nipple.

Rory rapidly reprioritized her thoughts and sunk down onto Jess, fully and without warning. Jess drew in two quick, gasping breaths as though he were about to sneeze. As he began to acclimatize to the feeling of her holding him—wet and thick as syrup, and as tight as a second skin—Jess expelled a puff of air at Rory’s chest.

Rory had accidentally overwhelmed herself, not prepared for how deeply satisfying the motion would be when Jess’s thick erection ploughed inside her. Her positioning on Jess’s lap had caused a rasping graze of her g-spot and the muscles of her inner thighs were fluttering like crazy in consequence. She steadied herself by pressing her palms to his shoulders and holding her body at arm’s length from his.

Jess had already recovered from his initial near-embarrassing of himself and didn’t particularly want Rory to do the same from what she was obviously feeling. He pulled her in to him, his hand sliding under her ass to guide her back up his dick and his lips finding her collarbone, trailing his panting mouth along it.

Rory pushed back down on Jess, groaning and slanting her hips to get a brisk rub of her clit in as well. Again, he helped raise her back up, but Rory was becoming a force of nature and it was evident that she didn’t require any assistance.

His hands given their freedom, Jess reached again for one of her breasts. He slung his other arm around Rory to give himself the illusion of control as he combatted her urgent downwards thrusts with a quick clench of his abdominals and a jerk of his own hips from underneath.

Jess gave Rory’s nipple a pulling flick that would have caused his fingers to snap had her body not been in the way. She eagerly pressed herself into his hands and the pure vulnerability of her want made Jess tingle all over.

He shifted his weight sideways, then rolled Rory onto her back. Out of the corner of his eye, Jess caught a glimpse of the black sweater she had had in her possession for years, and which much more recently had been quite a distraction on their walk that night as it smelled so much like her. He groaned involuntarily and was overtaken by a surge of possessive feeling for her that caused him to buck sharply against her. Rory cried out, her arms coming up to hold him by his shoulder blades as the sensation ran through her like a lit fuse.

Jess concentrated and applied a more controlled motion to the next few thrusts, but felt he was letting both of them down when his movements failed to elicit the same response as the first had. Rory noticed as well and wrapped one long leg around his, knotting them together as they moved. This encouraged Jess a little and his hips snapped back to hers more sharply. When he bumped her g-spot and Rory’s nails dented the skin on his back, this encouraged Jess a little more.

Jess looked down into her eyes, smirking, and Rory felt an unspoken message pass between them. She moved one hand to the center of his back and concertedly scored her nails down Jess’s spine. Jess’s smirk was shoved aside for a deep groan and he threw his hips against hers. Rory pulled Jess flat on top of her, under the guise of comforting him, and bit down lightly on his neck just below his jaw. Jess made a noise in his throat and painstakingly worked his arms under Rory’s damp back, reaching up to clutch at her shoulders from underneath. His hold was secure enough that Rory unwound her leg from his, giving him a greater range of motion and her permission to use it.

Although he enjoyed Rory’s coy flirtations with aggression, what Jess desired most was the position of dominance she’d given him. Likely it was tied up in his urge to prove himself to her, be the man for her that he hadn’t been in the past, etc. etc., but further reflection would have to be done sometime in the future. Preferably after another night of _this_. Preferably with Rory lying sleeping contentedly beside him.

That thought fueled Jess and he took it deep inside himself, like Rory breathing in her first whiff of coffee each morning. He wanted to do everything with her.

Jess pulled back until his erection was almost out, then drove himself in, pressing their upper bodies together to hold Rory secure and present in the moment. Rory’s nailed skittered across his back until her arms took up posts mirroring his and she held tightly to his shoulders from behind.

This left Jess’s lower half totally free to go to work on her and he dragged himself out before plunging quickly inside again. Rory let out a quavering moan, feeling like she might soon scream if she didn’t get satisfaction. Jess tightened his grip on her, his biceps rolling and flexing on either side of her chest, and drilled back in until Rory _did_ scream.

Jess pushed up from Rory slightly to look into her eyes, his hair swishing back and forth as he thrust, except where it was adhering to the sweat on the back of his neck. Rory’s eyes were narrowed slightly and her mouth was open to allow for whichever noises of pleasure she was driven to produce to exit uncensored. Jess gave her an open mouth grin, which Rory matched with a sly smile, running her hands over the muscles of his slick back that were swelling with the exercise.

When Rory skimmed her palms over his ass before clenching her fingers to grasp him there, Jess was shocked, then immediately thrilled. On his next thrust, Rory used her hold to press him even further inside her, dropping her knees outward to open her hips beneath him. Jess groaned and Rory lifted her widened hips, rubbing her clit roughly up and down against the course hair at his groin.

Seeing Rory control her pleasure like that was so arousing that Jess nearly lost himself. To recover, he fought her grip in order to pull out for a moment, replacing his cock with his hand before she could miss the feeling. Jess’s erection had really opened her up and he dove in with three fingers straight away, giving her g-spot a firm “come hither” flick. The heel of his palm he applied to her clit, nudging up against it as he rocked his fingers down out of her channel. Rory was soaking wet and Jess could feel that he was quickly slicked to the wrist, the lubrication allowing him to improve the sensation for her as he tapped her clit. He curled his fingers back inside her and Rory moaned, grinding down on him.

Her hand flailed out for his chin, lifting his face to point at hers. “I think you better stop that now.”

Jess grinned in confusion. “But you’re—”

“ _I know_ ,” Rory breathed, pushing down against his hand in spite of herself. “But I want you inside me when I do.”

Jess started to nod rapidly. “Yeah, fair enough.” He felt her muscles clamp down on his fingers as he drew his hand away and shakily guided his dick back into her.

Rory inhaled like a swimmer breaking the surface of the water and grabbed Jess’s forearm as he suspended himself in perfect form above her. As he drew his hips back, Jess leaned down, letting Rory have it with a passionate French kiss, then snapped forward.

Rory felt her world fuzzing like late-night static, squeezing her eyes shut as she returned Jess’s searing kiss. He rammed into her over and over until she felt like they would be melded together from the friction and the heat and the force of his thrusting.

Just before he let go, Jess broke the kiss. Rory’s eyes were closed in near-ecstasy, so he pressed the side of his face to hers instead. “Come with me,” he said. “Come with me this time.”

“Oh, god. Oh my god. Jess!” She screamed, her channel grabbing him with an iron grip that he couldn’t resist. Jess groaned deeply, releasing himself into her, and suddenly felt as if his body were at once both leaden and weightless.


	10. Dreams and Waking

X

Jess blinked. Rory was comfortably warm beneath him and her nails were scratching lightly across his scalp as she hand-combed his hair back from his face.

Realizing he was still inside her, Jess drew out, Rory hissing slightly at the sharp sensation. He started to lift himself off of her, but reconsidered when he looked down into her eyes. Perfectly content.

Jess nuzzled his face up her neck, kissing all over it until Rory started to laugh.

“So how was that?” he murmured by her ear.

Rory turned her head and reached to stroke Jess’s jaw as she looked into his calm brown eyes. Slowly, she brought her mouth to his, kissing him with enough pressure to make Jess want to get right back in the sack—or on the couch—with her.

He moaned.

“Haven’t had it that good in a while, huh?” His raised his eyebrows, hoping for a compliment, but feeling oddly nervous.

Rory’s gaze flickered away from him shyly before returning as she took her courage in hand.

“Haven’t had it that good _ever_.”

Jess’s lips parted, ready to no doubt crow in triumph, but Rory wasn’t done.

“I think I might have given it to you even better than you did to me though.”

Jess’s eyebrows pulled together. “How’s that?”

“Well… I mean, _I_ didn’t pass out.”

“What?” Jess looked incredulous. “I _passed out_?”

“Uh huh.”

“No.” He was shaking his head now. “When?”

“Ummm… how many options do you think there are?”

“No.”

“Oh yes. Trust me. I think you give me a run for body density by the way. I appreciate the physique a lot more when it’s not collapsed unconsciously on top of me.” Rory ran a hand up Jess’s muscular arm thoughtfully.

“I _passed out_?”

Rory started laughing and couldn’t control herself.

“Yes!”

“No way.”

“You did!”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“I couldn’t have.”

“Honestly, it was like this weird Spanish movie I saw one time where the guy just drops dead as soon as he finishes.”

Jess jerked his head back and looked at her in horror.

Rory backpedalled. “Except much less morbid, of course.”

“Wow. Well, sorry.” Jess ran a hand through his hair.

“Why are you apologizing? I take it as a compliment.”

“It was probably conscious me going to give subconscious me a high-five for finally getting here with you.”

Rory nodded. “I like that. A little bit creepy, but overall I’m flattered. Though I would prefer if you remained conscious next time because it was also momentarily terrifying.” She smiled at him.

Jess sighed. “I’ll do my best. And, wait. Next time?”

“Mhmm.”

Jess started to get cocky now. “So it was really that good?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

Rory leaned up to kiss him then dropped back. “Yes. I was starting to think I’d lost that loving feeling.”

Jess shook his head in disappointment. “I hate it when you do that.” He ran a hand over her hair that was trailing all over the cushion beneath her head.

“What do you think now?”

“About what?”

“Moving in. Together.”

“I thought we were going to talk about that.”

“We are talking. I say, ‘Do you want to?’ and you say ‘Yes.’ Trust me, I’m an editor.”

Jess nodded at her seriously. “I do know and thoroughly respect that.”

Rory shrugged. “Well then. Probe deeply into the recesses of your artistic intuition and tell me that those—” She paused to count on her fingers. “—five words are not enough to constitute a talk.”

“As far as dialogue goes…”

“Who are you, George R. R. Martin? The rest of us peasants use a little thing called minimalism.”

Jess narrowed his eyes at her. “Never in my life have I heard you speak in a way that could be considered minimalistic.”

Rory raised her eyebrows. “Well, consider the fact that for much of our acquaintance you’ve either been gone or unconscious.”

“Ouch. You don’t fight fair, you know that?”

She smiled. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“I mean I’d like to move in with you.”

Rory threw her arms around his neck.

“In exchange…”

She pulled back.

“Trust me, your body will know devotion the likes of which has not been seen since Victor Frankenstein built himself a monster.”

Jess looked disturbed. “You are so macabre this evening.”

“The theme is unintentional.”

“That’s what scares me. But that’s not what I was going to say.”

Rory put her palm to the side of his face apologetically. “Please continue.”

“In exchange, I get to keep you here for the rest of the night.”

“Luke and my mom are still planning to do the official wedding tomorrow.”

“I’ll have you back in time.” Jess kissed her cheek. “I’ll take you right back to your window.”

“The one that separates dreams from waking?” Rory smiled her old smile at him, forever thrilled by the knowledge that his ability to catch an allusion was on par with her own.

“It doesn’t separate anything now. I’m going to keep you straight on ‘til morning.”

“And then?” Rory breathed deeply, surrounded by his warmth.

“And then we’ll walk back through our town as the sun rises.” Jess lowered his mouth to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References in this chapter:  
> Top Gun directed by Tony Scott  
> Frankenstein by Mary Shelley


End file.
